FAs getting fired

[flapsforty]

After Sept. 11th new FAs at our company were hired on 1 year contracts. Our company is said to be haemorrhaging money, and management tells us we need to save.
So last week middle management has started phoning the 1-year contracters to tell them they're out. Dole office next destination.
Our top management awarded themselves some whopping great bonusses over the past fiscal year.

I've had the first crying FAs in my crew. Through the coming months there will be many more. And I will do my best to console them and say whatever words of comfort I can find for people who see both their dreams and livelihood go up in smoke.

I want to be loyal to the company where I have worked for 22 years, but for the life of me I can not in good conscience defend the company management practices that are now revealed in the national press.

Young FAs who work their butts off for little pay, get fired.
Old men who have made a balls up of their jobs of running my airline get millions of €€€.

Feeling somewhat bleak here.

[TightSlot]

Dont blame your for fealing bleak, flaps. A depressingly familiar scenario.
:(

[flyblue]

Is there nothing CC Unions can do following the press revelations? :(

[Stallturn]

Flapsy
I hate to point this out, but; - it ain't your airline! The airline belongs to its shareholders. If it's public, then you may be one, and as a shareholder your view is valid and correct to a point , but, yet again, whether you can do something about it, depends on how many shares, and thus how much influence, you can bring to bear on the company's managment practices through the board of directors. I do however wholeheartedly understand and empathise with the sentiment expressed in your views. You could I suppose, as a shareholder, make a more 'investor oriented' argument and mail this together to all shareholder of record, with a proposal on how you would like to deal with it at the next company AGM. It's a hot topic at the moment, and who knows, if your argument stands up ....what may happen!

[viking737]

Which airline do you work for?

[missleadfoot]

It's a very sad topic but you did say they were hired on 1 year contracts. As much as I hate seeing anyone lose their job, knowing the airline situation at the moment did they think they would be guaranteed employment after the contract?

Contract work is something that is becoming more and more prevelant in our industry, sadly. If things are going well then maybe cantracts will be extended but I wouldn't pin my hopes on anything after the contract period.

As these crew being layed off have actually been trained and employed for the 1 year period does this help them if employment opportunities come up in the future. It costs an airline a lot of money to train crew, surely the company would call on them first in the future if they were needed.

[flapsforty]

Of course you`re right. Not my airline; even if I`m a shareholder. Still feels that way though.
I think maybe that`s the same for most employees?
Anyway, the so called foreman of the National Shareholder Associaion has taken exeption tothis blatant pocket filling and questions have been asked. Fat lot of good............

And yes, of curse the 1 year folks knew abut the poss of not getting extensions. But the first lots DID get them, so they had high hopes. Unions not involved, it\s all acc to the law.

Flyblue, looks like we will be taken over by your lot shortly anyway so itwill be a moot point.

:confused:

[flyblue]

Flaps,
what I've heard is that the alliance terms had already been discussed and accepted, and they were waiting (it was 6 weeks at the time I heard it) to give public announcement.
I personally think that this would be a very good things for both Skyteam and KLM :ok: